Part of the
Acorn Archive
Hearts of Oak
Charles Lewis
Royal Navy [1891-1905]
West Africa Station
1900-1904
Part 6
Written 1944
More memories, and The
Return Home
I remember when coaling in
Manchuria, where the natives said it was too cold for them to work in the coal
barge, so we turned to and got in the coal; but it took a week to get in 100
tons; Cold was no name for it, I have been in the lighter alongside our ship
and as the spray broke over us it froze on us; One carried on as long as one
could, but it took some striking. I don’t think I have been warm since
wintering up there.
It was no better on the West
Coast of Africa. Coaling the ship was worse than “hard labour”, especially St
Thomas, which is close to the equator. The coal was brought alongside in small
boats, each ship on arrival at Sierra Leone takes on board so many Kroomen to
work outside the awnings, as we were not used to that heat. Our Kroomen said it
was too hot for them to coal at St Thomas’. So we turned to and got the coal
in. I must confess it was some hot. I often think of what would have happened
to those Negroes if they had belonged to another Navy.
Another port of call on the
West Coast was Elephant’s Bay, the usual routine soon after arrival of a ship
was to land a party of men to put the name of the ship on the Cliff ashore. I
volunteered for that job, as it meant a 700 foot Climb. Everything required,
had to be carried up. We looked about and found a kind of white stone, and to
make it look more conspicuous we carried up lime and water, and whitewashed
them over. It was interesting to note the different ship names on the various
Cliffs.
As we were the first ship to
arrive in the Bay, after the Accession of HM King Edward VII, in addition to
our name, we put ER and the date; it was hard work and terribly hot. We did not
see any Elephants in the Bay, but night times we could hear the lions roaring.
[Baia dos Elefantes, South Angola]
When we were at St Paul’s de
Loanda, our Officers got up a fishing party, fortunately I missed the party.
Our chaps wishing to emulate the Negroes dressed them selves up in the clothes
Adam and Eve wore before the Fall [Autumn]; I don’t think anyone
belonging to that party will ever forget fishing in the Tropics, for next day
blisters (like one gets when on is scalded by boiling water) appeared all over
their bodies. Doctor had to put all of them on the Sick list, it was quite a
fortnight before they were able to return to duty. I joined the second party,
but we profiting by the first party’s mistake, kept on our white duck suit and
wore our straw hat, so we had a very enjoyable day. I am sorry to say our catch
did not come up to expectation, but it was a change to run off the sands and
splash about in the sea.
Every HM Ship carries a seine
and, if one is fortunate to serve a decent Captain, one can get some very good
sport. I remember once in Kornalof Bay in Manchuria, we caught a Cutter full of
Salmon, enough for the whole Ship’s Company. then at Lambert’s Bay we used to
fish for Crayfish; the water was so clear, one could see the bottom at a depth
of five fathoms and over. We used a hoop with a spun yarn mesh attached, and
fast as you put the hoop over the side, you could pull it in with a Crayfish in
it. We caught so many that one got tired of them. The fish made a nice change
after being on salt provisions for a long time.
We visited Ascension Island
and spent Christmas there. To me it looked for all the world, like a large
cinder heap. Georgetown is the chief port. the only vegetation is on Green
Mountain about 2,000 ft above sea level. It’s a fine place for rollers for
anybody that likes surfing, also for turtles; The beaches sometimes are covered
with them. I believe the Lord Mayor of London gets turtles for his banquet from
Ascension. A wonderful sight on the Island is the Wide-a-Wakes; they are black
body birds with white breasts, about the size of a small gull; There are
thousands of them, they squat about on the cindery shore and one has to be
careful when walking, or you would step on them, they don’t attempt to fly up,
or get out of the way. When I was there the Island was manned by Marines with a
Naval Captain in Charge. Ascension was a coaling station; we tried to get some
Christmas things on the Island, but we were unlucky, they had run out of
provisions, but allowed us to purchase one pint of beer. And after walking on
nothing but cinders on a hot day for hours on a stretch, a pint of anything
liquid was acceptable.
Another Island we visited was
Anna Bon, belonging to Spain; the natives had little clothes and less food, so
one could get anything the Island had to offer in exchange for old clothes or
food. One poor half starved ragged native came on board to see the Captain.
Unfortunately for him he got in the way of our first Lieutenant, who was busy
getting the ship shipshape after anchoring. Without thinking, the first
Lieutenant gave the poor old chap a rugger kick on the part he sat on, which
sent him flying down the ladder; when he picked himself up, he started to sing
out at the top of his voice “Me the Guvnah Sah! Me the Guvnah Sah!” Poor old Jimmy the One saw he had put his
foot in it; He apologised at once, and took him to the Captain. If the Governor
looked like that, you can imagine how the lower order looked.
We had a pleasure cruise to St
Helena, which was a great treat after all our hard times on the Coast; Like
Ascension, St Helena is another coaling station; Jamestown is the Chief town,
which is a long winding street between high hills; there are some excellent
walks there; One has to visit Napoleon’s grave, another fine walk is out to
Longwood, to see his house, then if one has not had enough exercise, one can
climb Jacob’s Ladder – 700 steps, that will make one puff. A very pretty sight
is seen from one of the hills, on another hill opposite to the one I was on, is
a beautiful green piece of ground shaped like a heart, due, I believe to the
water dripping on it; all around it, it looks like rocks, why the shape of a
heart, I don’t know.
We had another battering in a
gale, and refitted. We had all collected a lot of things we had bartered for
from the natives. I had bartered clothes for curios and some of the loveliest
sea shells that I have ever seen, in Mozambique; shells of all sizes and
descriptions, some so smooth one could be forgiven if he thought the shells had
been polished day and night, they were a beautiful lot. Our Officers were very
good – they gave us all the space possible for the stowage of Curios.
We had a leisurely trip home
calling at all the West Coast on the way, arriving at Plymouth safely on the 14th
April 1904.
Raymond Forward